Mideast Conflict Affects FASF 2016 Centennial Plans

The FASF was just notified by the U. S. Army’s 1st Armored Division’s CAB unit (Combat Aviation Brigade) that they have just been ordered to deploy into the battle zones of the Mideast. The CAB unit is presently headquartered at BIGGS ARMY AIR FIELD adjacent to and part of FORT BLISS, in El Paso, Texas, which is only about 80 air miles due East of Columbus.

The CAB and the FASF had been in the planning stages for an AIR SHOW in which some of the CAB’s helicopter gunships and other rotary wing assets would be demonstrated during the March 12, 2016 Centennial Commemoration of the Birth of American Air Power here in Columbus, NM. It was 99 years ago that the U. S. Army’s Signal Corps, which had been operating its highly experimental early Curtiss manufactured Jenny biplanes in Texas City, Texas (near Houston) was ordered, by President Wilson, to immediately deploy its aircraft to Columbus for their first action in a sustained combat operation.

While this sudden removal of the CAB from the Air Show Schedule is a large disappointment, the FASF wishes the men and women of the CAB the best of good luck in their new battle field duty assignment. We fully realize that this Battalion’s first priority, in fact its sole purpose for existence, it to be on a 24 hour daily standby in the event of any emergency call in the furtherance of national defense. When the BIGG’s CAB returns to its home base in El Paso, we hope we will once again be able to plan another demonstration project to be held at the First Aero Squadron’s historic Air Field in Columbus.

Here, below is a short 4:12 minute action clip of the nearby CAB unit to help you get an idea of their actual combat operations. Simply click on the CAB’s Official Combat Emblem or on any of the other still shots from their video to see this video.